More Travel & Happy 2nd!

We're getting settled into the new place, finally, although we are a little hamstrung by all the going out of town, plus someone's (OK, mine) foot-dragging when it comes to making decisions re: bedding, picture hanging, etc. Brennan loves having more space - just ask the downstairs neighbors about the speed he builds up in the long hallway - and he also seems to enjoy the rearrangement of his bedroom furniture. Now that Daddy can store his 80 bazillion CDs somewhere else, Bren gets the whole bookshelf for his stuff, and Mommy made the brilliant decision to put his books where he can get them out all by himself. I wouldn't have bothered to take a picture had I known how often I was going to see the above carnage.

We went to visit our friends John & Suzanne and their girls in Colorado - plus it's nice to have some more real summer. Loveland, CO has some exotic locales for a kid from San Francisco - for example, the Build-a-Bear store, where you can magically turn an $18 teddy bear into a $60 one. Thankfully, Brennan chose to Build-a-Pony, and there aren't really any outfits for the pony. Also he found this teddy bear car, squeezed himself into it, and remained there while his parents completed the pony-building.
Much more successful was a romp in the dancing fountain outside the Build-a-Bear store. Catching him with a towel when it was time to go was kind of like trying to net a butterfly, with the added challenge of not getting soaked myself. I can't remember the last time he's laughed so hard for so long. Too bad we don't have one here. Of course, all the kids would become hypothermic, so it's probably for the best.
We also went to the County Fair, which despite being the approx. temperature of the Sun, was a good time, if just to see how fairs compare to ones I went to as a kid. For instance, I don't remember corn dogs being the size of my head, or getting to pick from more than one flavor of lemonade. Or the petting zoo including a young camel - sadly, not pictured, as it seemed very curious about the camera and all I have are a bunch of close-ups of its nostrils and teeth. Bren enjoyed meeting some pygmy goats and a tortoise, which he tried to push to go faster. On the other hand, some things at the fair don't really change -

Bren had a great time playing with Grace & Audrey, throwing pebbles in the lake, and eating every kids' Clif Bar in the house.

He wasn't quite sure what this big green open space was, but he sure liked running across it.

We got home and unpacked and then it was time for a visit from his grandparents and a birthday! He started his 2nd birthday with 2nd breakfast at Zazie, then a nice walk to the Science Academy to show Marshall & Mary all the fish, followed by a long nap. When Daddy came home, we all went to dinner at the Presidio Social Club, where there were no tantrums or emergency changes of pants, AND there was a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate dipping sauce (remnants can be seen in the lower portion of the photo, and all over his face). We did not intend to dress him as a cowboy, but since Mommy forgot to pack a bib, the restaurant napkin had a certain "rawhide" quality that went nicely with his shirt. All in all, an exciting and successful birthday.

But the fun didn't stop there - we also took Gangi Mary over to Marin to visit the Discovery Museum, where Brennan showed her how many rubber frogs he could carry at once. We had a nice lunch in Sausalito and looked at boats, too.
And even more news - our family has gotten a little bigger and our apartment a lot noisier! No, the baby isn't early - it's a different kind of baby: now introducing....Roux! She's a red & white border collie, 11 weeks old, and a big fan of shoes, slippers, or little feet in footy pajamas. While she looks very sweet, the next picture probably gives you a better idea of what she brings to the household. Probably not the wisest move on my part, but I have from now 'til end of December to get a dog settled and semi-trained, otherwise it won't happen for about 2 years. I really missed having a dog! Since we lost Laika in May, there's been a empty furry spot next to my bed. Bren breaks my heart every time he rushes out the door at the YMCA, saying "oof oof" and making a beeline for any hapless mutt who happens to be tethered in the "dog parking" - I think he really missed having one, too. Although he might beg to differ every time she steals his stuffed Nemo fish.